Free STEM Showcase for 4–12th Graders

The event here is not a science fair in the classic tri-fold-board sense. It’s an engineering challenge — and that changes the whole vibe. Students in grades 4 through 12 build something, test it in public, and get judged on how well the design actually works. In Reno, that’s the Reno Tech Challenge Showcase, set for Saturday, May 23, 2026 at The Discovery. Teams that participate also get free museum admission for themselves and their families, which makes the day feel more like a community STEM outing than a narrow school competition. ### What is this event, exactly? The Reno Tech Challenge is a student engineering competition tied to The Tech Interactive’s challenge model, but staged locally in Reno. The showcase is the public end of the program — the part where teams bring their designs to The Discovery, put them through the required tests, and present their work to judges. That means the point is not just having an event there. ### Who can take part? The age range is pretty broad — grades 4 through 12 — but the event is split into three divisions: grades 4–6, 7–8, and 9–12. Teams have two to four students plus one adult adviser. One useful detail: students do not have to come from the same school or class. So a homeschool group, club, sibling team, or mixed-school friend group can enter as long as everyone is in the eligible grade range. ### What do students actually do? They use the engineering design process to solve a real-world problem, document their thinking, and then test the result at the showcase. That sounds academic, but basically it means students have to iterate — build, fail, adjust, and try again. The challenge is structured around design constraints and judging criteria, so teams are being scored on more than enthusiasm. Safety and overall execution count too. ### Why is The Discovery a good fit? The Discovery is Reno’s big hands-on science museum, so it already has the right audience and the right energy for this kind of event. Instead of dropping student projects into a school cafeteria, the showcase lands in a space built around experimentation, invention, and interactive learning. That also helps explain the free admission perk for participating in the competition itself. ### Is this just for future engineers? Not really — and that’s the important part. Engineering challenges pull in students who like building, problem-solving, documenting ideas, or working in teams, even if they don’t think of themselves as “science fair kids.” The adult adviser also doesn’t need to be an engineer, which lowers the barrier for schools, parents, and community groups that want to help students participate without technical expertise in-house. ### Why does this matter in Reno? Northern Nevada has been rebuilding visible youth STEM showcase culture. The Discovery has also hosted events like the SciVenture Science Fair, which returned after Reno lost its long-running annual science fair during the pandemic years. So the Tech Challenge matters as part of a bigger local pattern — more places for students to show work in public, not just do STEM quietly in classrooms. ### What should families know? The key practical details are simple. The showcase is on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at The Discovery in downtown Reno. Registration closed on May 1, so this is now mainly a day to attend, support teams, and see what local students built. Ask-Reno’s listing also notes prizes up to $100 and free admission for participating teams and families. This is a free, public-facing STEM showcase built around doing, not just displaying. If you want to see what hands-on K–12 engineering looks like in Reno right now, this is one of the clearest windows into it.